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Adventure quests
寻奇探险
Ain’t no mountain high enough.
山不够高。
Everest, Inc. By Will Cockrell.
《珠穆朗玛公司》，威尔·科克雷尔。
Climbing Mount Everest used to be a feat of staggering bravery, endurance and skill.
攀登珠穆朗玛峰曾经是一项需要惊人的勇气、耐力和技术的壮举。
In the 40 years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reached the summit in 1953, an average of 12 people a year followed in their footsteps.
自1953年埃德蒙·希拉里爵士和丹增诺盖首次登顶以来的40年里，平均每年有12人追随他们的脚步。
In 2023 more than 1,200 people attempted the climb, with 655 making it to the top.
2023年，超过1200人试图攀登珠峰，其中655人成功登顶。
What was once an “almost certainly fatal” endeavour is “the new Ironman triathlon”, argues Will Cockrell, a journalist, in “Everest, Inc”, a fascinating new book.
记者威尔·科克雷尔在一本精彩的新书《珠穆朗玛公司》中写道，攀登珠峰曾经是一项“几乎肯定会丧命”的艰难活动，现在成了“新的铁人三项”。
High-tech equipment and better understanding of the physiological impact of high altitudes have brought new hopefuls to Everest.
高科技设备和对高海拔生理影响的更好了解带来了新一批想要攀登珠峰的人。
But the biggest reason for the rising number of Everest conquerors is the establishment of a professional guiding industry.
但珠峰征服者数量不断增加的最大原因是建立了专业向导产业。
For a hefty fee—between $35,000 and $110,000—experienced climbers will put novices on top of the world.
只要支付3.5万美元到11万美元的高额费用，经验丰富的登山者就能让新手登上世界之巅。
As with many extreme sports, Everest offers a test.
与许多极限运动一样，珠峰也是一种考验。
Amateurs want to know if they can achieve something physically and mentally demanding.
业余爱好者想知道他们是否能完成对身体和心理都要求很高的事情。
According to some psychologists, people undertake Herculean endeavours to deny their own mortality.
根据一些心理学家的说法，人们会做出艰巨的事情来否认死亡。
Mr Cockrell believes this helps explain why interest in climbing Everest increases after deaths are reported: people are more attracted to the adventure if they are reminded of its dangers.
科克雷尔认为，这有助于解释为什么在报道死亡事件之后，人们对攀登珠峰的兴趣会增加：如果提醒冒险活动有多危险，人们就会更被这种冒险吸引。
The guiding industry exists in large part because of a foolhardy but irresistible character called Dick Bass.
向导行业的存在在很大程度上是因为一个鲁莽但无法阻挡的人：迪克·巴斯。
The heir to an oil fortune, Bass had the lunatic idea of climbing the highest mountains on all seven continents.
作为石油财富的继承人，巴斯有一个疯狂的想法，想爬完七大洲的所有最高峰。
He bought his way onto three different Everest expeditions and, in 1985, aged 55, he became both the oldest and least experienced climber to reach the summit.
他花钱踏上了三次不同的珠峰探险旅程，1985年，55岁的他成为年龄最大、经验最少的登顶者。
The sight of an average Joe on top of the world generated a media frenzy—and the establishment of companies that could cater to the new demand for tours.
一个普通人登上世界之巅的事件引发了媒体的狂热报道，也使得迎合新的旅游需求的公司建立。
The early years of guided expeditions in the 1990s were mostly successful.
20世纪90年代早期的有向导的探险队大多成功了。
In 1992-95, around 150 people paid to be led up the mountain, and a third succeeded.
在1992-95年间，大约150人付费让向导带他们上山，其中三分之一的人成功登顶了。
But in 1996, Jon Krakauer, an American writer, joined one of two simultaneous expeditions that went wrong.
但在1996年，美国作家乔恩·克拉考尔参加了同时出发的两个探险队之一，两队都遇难了。
A storm “dropped down on the climbers like a piano on a cartoon character”.
暴风雪“砸在登山者身上，就像钢琴砸在卡通人物身上一样”。
The guides, eager for their clients to reach the top, delayed turning them around.
向导们急切地希望他们的客户能登顶，于是推迟了让他们返回的时间。
Three guides and two climbers died.
结果三名向导和两名登山者死亡。
In a bestselling book, “Into Thin Air”, Mr Krakauer argued that Everest had become a high-end tourist trap.
在畅销书《进入空气稀薄地带》中，克拉考尔认为珠穆朗玛峰已经成为高端游客陷阱。
He decried the judgment of the guides and the selfishness of inexperienced climbers.
他谴责了向导的判断失误和缺乏经验的登山者的自私。
Many businesses assumed that the book would crush them.
许多企业认为这本书会毁了他们。
Instead, fascination with Everest soared.
相反，人们对珠峰的迷恋飙升。
The industry has depended on local labour.
该行业一直依赖当地劳动力。
Large numbers of Nepalis were hired by companies in the West to install ropes and carry equipment for clients.
大量尼泊尔人受雇于西方公司，为客户安装绳索和运送设备。
The guiding firms made efforts to build lasting relationships with their teams on the ground.
向导公司努力与他们在珠峰当地的团队建立持久的关系。
But, Mr Cockrell notes, “The reasons Westerners and Sherpas were climbing mountains remained very different.”
但是，科克雷尔指出，“西方人和夏尔巴人登山的原因仍然非常不同”。
Two accidents in the 2010s brought change.
2010年代的两次事故带来了改变。
In 2014, 16 Sherpas were buried by falling ice while transporting clients’ gear.
2014年，16名夏尔巴人在运送客户的装备时被掉落的冰块掩埋。
Their colleagues went on strike and forced the cancellation of the season.
他们的同事们举行了罢工，迫使当时的登山季取消。
Then, in 2015, an avalanche killed ten Sherpas and nine foreign clients.
然后在2015年，一场雪崩导致10名夏尔巴人和9名外国客户死亡。
In the aftermath, many Western operators lost their enthusiasm for Everest; today all the biggest guiding firms are Nepali-owned.
此后，许多西方运营商失去了对珠峰的热情，现在，所有最大的向导公司都是尼泊尔人所有的。
“Everest, Inc” ends on a confounding note.
《珠穆朗玛公司》结尾的语气令人困惑。
More people are reaching the summit, but more are dying en route, too: 18 people perished in 2023, the highest-ever number.
越来越多的人登上了山顶，但也有更多的人在途中死亡：2023年有18人死亡，这是有史以来的最高数字。
Nepalese authorities say climate change has caused more extreme weather.
尼泊尔相关部门表示，气候变化导致了更极端的天气。
Mr Cockrell argues that there was no negligence on the part of the firms.
科克雷尔辩称，这些公司没有疏忽。
He suggests that Nepali guides consider themselves in the logistics business and generally leave decisions of safety to clients.
他建议尼泊尔向导把自己看作是物流业务工作者，通常情况下将安全决定权留给客户。
But amateur climbers make bad choices.
但业余登山者会做出糟糕的选择。
The disaster in 1996 showed that even guides get these decisions wrong.
1996年的灾难表明，即使是向导也会做出错误的决定。
Experts know more than ever about how to navigate Everest safely.
专家们比以往任何时候都更清楚如何安全地攀登珠穆朗玛峰。
But that does not make it a safe place.
但这并不能使珠峰成为一个安全的地方。
